Writing BETWEEN Worlds

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Cableless

My family has been without cable TV for at least 4 years now and you know what? I’m glad. In fact, I don’t miss it one bit. My wife and I were discussing our eschewing of cable this morning after she brought up the fact she had to watch it yesterday for a couple of hours while our car was getting maintenance. Here are a few reasons we don’t miss cable:

1. It’s EXPENSIVE! I know several people who spend over $100 per month to have around 100 channels, only 3 of which actually have a show or two they watch. What? Not only is this monumentally wasteful, it’s utter nonsense.

2. Cable programming has dropped in quality and become homogenized. There used to be competition in cable and variety that drove good programming. But, now cable stations, not to mention basically all other media outlets, aim for the most common denominator in order to ensure positive cash flow. But, where does that leave innovation and quality? Sadly, there seems to be none.

3. Cable has commercials. I don’t dislike commercials because they pause my show. In fact, some of them are more entertaining than the show itself. But, the reason commercials get to me is that they constantly tell people, “You’re not good enough.” If you don’t bleach your teeth, eat this cereal, and make sure your kids have this type of vitamin, you lose. How many people grew up disliking themselves because everything around them said they weren’t pretty or tall or fast or thin enough? I can tell you that I felt some of those things myself and today children still feel them.

I’m glad we don’t have cable, not just because it is cost prohibitive and empty of redeeming value, but because I don’t want a bunch of ad men teaching my sons the lie that they can only be good and successful by having. I intend to teach them that they are good and successful by being.

One thought on “Cableless”

Being without cable (or Dish, etc.) has been a very good thing for us, too. It started out as a way to cut costs but has freed up a lot of time that we used to waste in front of the TV set. I not only do not miss it, I can not imagine going back to it now.